This is a genus of coniferous trees in the family Pinaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and eastwards into the mountains of the Himalayas. Cedar is pleasantly scented, particularly when fresh cut and is an excellent alternative to spruce in the construction of acoustic guitar tops. Rarely, cedar may have a surprising amount of figuring and this wood is sometimes used by guitar manufacturers as a substitute for flame maple tops. As with many tonewoods, extensive deforestation has occured, particularly in Labanon and Cyprus, with only small remains of the original forests surviving. However, in Turkey, over 50 million cedar trees are planted each year.